Namiki Zao Wou Ki Limited Edition Legendary Artist

Namiki Zao Wou Ki Limited Edition

Artistic Fusion of Chinese & French Culture

  When Namiki first launched this Namiki Zao Wou Ki Limited Edition fountain pen in 2002, very few pen collectors know who Zao Wou Ki was and his works. Zao Wou Ki 趙無極  or 赵无极 (13 February 1920 – 9 April 2013) was a legendary Chinese-French painter. Born in Beijing and studied painting at the Ecole des Beaux Arts of Hangzhou before coming to Paris in 1948.  His work is the symbol of the fusion of culture and artistic expressions between France and China. He was honored by President of The French Republic as Commander of The Legion of Honour and many of his works are collected by major museums of the world.  In 1994, Zao Wou Ki was awarded the "Premium Imperiale Award Of Painting"  by The Emperor of Japan. Namiki honored Zao Wou Ki to decorate this fountain pen with him drawing from the sources of calligraphy, interpreting in his own style, the ideograms finely engraved four thousand years ago on the Chinese bronzes. As an expert in lacquer art, Zao Wou Ki then faithfully copied them out and drew in free hand in gold characters on a background of black natural lacquer to create this masterpiece; an interpretation of modern version of the ancestral writing on each of the 50 numbered copies made by Namiki and bore the name "ZAO WOU KI". View this pen at Elephant & Coral or sales@elephant-coral.com for more information.